


a crazy old lady and a tarnished gold watch

by icymapletree



Series: 13 nights of halloween [9]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Body Swap, Cursed, F/M, Gen, Precious Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-02 19:34:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21166754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icymapletree/pseuds/icymapletree
Summary: Tony looked at his hands, they were really little - and covered in red spandex. “Huh,” he sighed, “We should probably work on getting this fixed.”“It says a lot that we aren’t freaking out about this. When did my life become so weird? When did this become normal?” Peter grumbled, throwing his arms up in surrender.orTony and Peter switch bodies for just over a weekend.





	a crazy old lady and a tarnished gold watch

**Author's Note:**

> welcome to the longest fic i've ever posted! very nervous about it, hope you enjoy it (:
> 
> i was heavily inspired by Marvel Team-Up #1-3 (2019) where Ms Marvel and Peter switch bodies. it's one of my favorite comics of all time! check it out if you get the chance, i 100% recommend it
> 
> this was written for #8: magic on [hailingstars](https://hailing-stars.tumblr.com/) 13 nights of halloween prompt list!

Early in the morning, Peter tapped his nail on the window of the eighty-fifth floor of Stark Tower. Tony smiled and shook his head fondly, putting his coffee on the counter then telling FRIDAY to open the window for the boy. Peter scampered in, sticking to the ceiling before dropping down with a backflip that made Tony’s stomach lurch.

“How was patrol, kid?” Tony asked, patting the spot next to him on the couch.

Peter tore off his mask and leapt onto the couch, ruffling his own curls. “Bleck, mask hair,” he mumbled before looking at Tony. “It was good. This crazy old lady gave me a cool watch, wanna see?”

“How many times do I have to tell you to not take things from strange old ladies?”

“You haven’t told me that often,” Peter rolled his eyes, “But she wasn’t strange, she was crazy, Mr Stark, there’s a difference.”

“Sure there is, kid,” Tony snorted.

A few minutes of silence passed in which Tony returned to the kitchen to retrieve his coffee and turned on the news at a low volume as Peter pulled out his phone.

Peter cleared his throat. Tony ignored him, focusing on the news anchor covering the latest things that the Champions, Avengers and other various superhero teams around the city had done.

Peter cleared his throat again.

“Yes, Peter?”

“You wanna see my watch?”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Sure. Show me the watch.”

Peter pulled the watch out of his pocket like an overexcited puppy, a wide smile on his face as he passed the tarnished gold watch to his mentor. Tony grumbled as he reached for it, his fingers barely brushing it when -

Everything went dark.

When he finally came to, Tony woke up on the wrong side of the couch. Blinking the blurriness out of his eyes, he saw himself sitting across from himself (?) in extreme detail. He could see his own pores and the dips and imperfections in his skin. While he was studying himself from afar, unsure of how to proceed, his body (Peter?) shot up in surprise and the sunglasses that were clipped to his sweatshirt clinked to the floor.

“Tony?” his voice squeaked.

“Yeah, bud, it’s me. I’m assuming that’s you, Pete,” Peter’s voice answered. Tony looked at his hands, they were really little - and covered in red spandex.

“Yeah, it’s me,” Peter rubbed his face with his (Tony’s?) hands, “Why does this always happen to me?”

Tony tried to raise one eyebrow but found that he couldn’t. “This has happened to you before?”

Peter nodded his head with squinty eyes that didn’t look right on Tony’s face. “It was with Ms Marvel. You and Pepper were out of town. Didn’t want to worry you.”

“Those kids seem sweet. Aren’t her and that other Spider-Boy together?”

Peter rampantly shook Tony’s head. “No, no, no. The other Spider-Man is in a cross-dimensional relationship with another Spider-Person. I think.” Peter’s eyes began to dart around the room. “Also, I think you need glasses.”

Tony chuckled. “I do not need glasses. You just see so well. I can literally see a mosquito on the wall of the kitchen.” He furrowed his brow. “And I can hear everything that’s happening in R&D? And your heartbeat?”

“If you tried hard enough, you could probably hear the heartbeat of someone in the lobby.” Peter held up his hand in warning. “Don’t try to, though. You’ll get a nasty headache.”

“Huh,” Tony sighed, “We should probably work on getting this fixed.”

“It says a lot that we aren’t freaking out about this. When did my life become so weird? When did this become normal?” Peter grumbled, throwing his arms up in surrender.

“We should get ahold of Dr Strange. Are you up for a walk, kid?”

* * *

Peter slouched as he walked, keeping his hands in his pockets. The posture looked strange on Tony, who usually held himself high. Tony’s confident stance looked almost as weird on Peter as the anxiety ridden stature looked on Tony.

Both of them kept mostly to themselves as they walked, but it was in their nature to not let silence settle for too long.

“Mr Stark?”

“Yeah, underoos?”

“I’m sorry that this happened to you.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, kid. This sucks for you, too.”

Peter gave a little nod.

“And it’s not your fault,” he added.

Peter nodded again, smaller this time.

They began to climb up the stairs to the sanctum.

* * *

“So the watch was cursed?” Peter asked Strange with Tony’s voice as he widened his eyes.

“No, not cursed. Rather charged with the negative energies of an ancient father and son,” Strange said as he dusted a few items in a display case.

“That sounds cursed to me,” Tony laughed, flicking one of the tassels on Stephen’s sleeves.

“Once again, not cursed. But, it is cursed that I have to witness you two in each other’s bodies. It’s really kind of creepy.”

“It’s not!” they both shouted at the same time.

Stephen exaggeratedly shuddered. “That’s what I mean. But anyway, it is temporary.”

“How long?”

“Most likely three days.”

“Three days?!” Peter said, arching his neck forward with slightly parted lips. He ran his fingers through Tony’s hair. “I have an engineering presentation and a date with MJ!”

“We’ll be fine, kid. You’re forgetting that I’m an engineer, married, and it can’t be too hard to thwip, right?”

Peter widened his eyes. “We’re screwed.”

* * *

The two of them sat on the couch in silence, taking in the current situation.

“We should probably call Pepper.”

“Probably,” Peter agreed.

Neither of them made the move to call her, and they continued to sit there until the elevator doors opened, revealing Pepper who was holding Morgan’s hand.

“Miss Morgan wanted to see you guys,” Pepper laughed.

“Daddy! Petey!” she shouted, taking short fast strides unknowingly into Peter’s arms.

Peter sat the small girl on his lap. “Hey… uh… Morgoona.”

“I really missed you, daddy” she said, looking up at Peter with wide eyes.

“I missed you too, baby,” he stuttered, eyes darting from Tony to Pepper and back again.

Pepper tilted her head and squinted her eyes, mouthing something to Peter’s body. Tony shrugged, mouthing a couple words back. Pepper carefully walked towards Peter and scooped her daughter out of his arms.

“Hey!” Morgan said, kicking her legs in protest, “We just got here!”

“We’re gonna go see Aunt Nat downstairs for a little bit, then you can come say hi again,” Pepper said softly, pushing her daughter’s hair behind her ear and placing a light kiss on her face.

“Darn,” Morgan said, pressing her face into her mom’s shoulder and sticking her tongue out at the two still occupying the living room.

Peter stared at Tony while they waited for the return of Pepper.

“Stop it,” Tony said, glaring and looking away.

“Stop what?”

“Looking at me with my body. It’s weird.”

Peter rolled his eyes and the corners of his lips turned down.

“Woah,” Tony said, feigning shock, “Teenage angst does not look good on me.”

Peter barked a laugh and then the elevator dinged.

“What the hell is going on here?” she asked, hands on her hips.

“Well, he’s me… and I’m him,” Tony stuttered.

“This isn’t my first body-swap rodeo,” Peter announced, “And we’ll be back to normal in three days. That’s like, ten hours in dog time.”

“Have you forgotten about your presentation in two days?”

Tony pursed his lips and held up a finger. “The presentation… may have slipped my mind.”

Peter’s hands leapt to his head and his breathing sped up. “Oh my god. I have to be genius billionaire philanthropist Tony Stark and not just family man Tony Stark.”

“Is that somehow… worse?”

“No, no, I idolized that you, there’s nothing wrong with that you. But onstage, you are just so poignant - and I’m just… not.”

“Kid, you just used poignant in casual conversation. I believe in you, you’ll be alright.”

Peter smiled back. “Thank you, Mr Stark.”

“I’m sure I’ll regret this later because of the bizzaro factor, but -” Tony leaned in for a hug.

Peter leaned Tony’s head into the crook of his own neck. It was, in fact, quite awkward, both of them not knowing how to navigate a swapped hug. When they pulled away, Pepper wore a contorted expression of confusion.

“What?” they both asked.

“That was the strangest thing I’ve ever seen… and somehow the most heartwarming.”

* * *

“Alright, I think we should come up with some rules,” Peter announced, clearing his throat as he marched into the common area.

“I think what we’ve been doing has been working pretty well. Ignore it and hope it goes away.”

“I can’t hide from Morgan all day,” Peter groaned, looking at the stack of Post-it notes that he had written a few notes on, “And I think most of the hesitation for the two of us comes from the fact that there are no set rules.”

Tony shrugged and raised his eyebrows. He shut his laptop, looking at Peter. “Fair.”

“Considering this is three days, we can’t hold it the whole time. No looking.”

“No looking where?”

Peter dropped his stack of Post-it notes and blushed all the way up to his ears. “You know,” he said with a fumbling gesture as he bent over to pick up the notes.

Tony chuckled. “I do know, kid.”

“I also think that we shouldn’t tell Morgan. She already has an assassin for an aunt, no need to confuse her poor kindergarten teacher any more.”

Tony nodded in agreement.

“I can’t think of any more that aren’t already common sense,” Peter shrugged, scribbling a few things down.

“Don’t worry, kid, I won’t do anything you wouldn’t do.”

“I’ll stay out of the gray area,” Peter nodded decisively.

“What - what gray area?”

“The place where I operate… just, nevermind.”

Tony made a move to ruffle Peter’s hair, but then backed off when he realized that it would be his own hair. Instead, he cleared his throat, pulling his hand away abruptly. “So, uh, what’s your first official action as Tony Stark?”

“I’ve been Tony Stark for,” he checked his watch, “three hours. I think my first official action as Tony Stark was snoring when we passed out.”

“I don’t snore.”

“Tell that to the rest of the guy’s tent from when we went camping. Clint, Scott, Rhodey, and I all beg to differ.”

Tony indignantly grumbled.

* * *

“Stop!” Tony swatted at Peter’s hands, “I like your curls. Don’t gel them.”

“I won’t gel mine if I don’t gel yours.”

“That sentence is so trippy in this context,” Tony shook his head, “Remind me why we have to go on this date?”

“Because MJ says I have, quote, ‘chronic flakiness’ and if I miss this dinner there’ll be some ‘unspecified consequences.’”

“Did you tell her what the issue is?”

Peter nodded, reaching for a comb. “You know what her response was? ‘I’ll bring my mom so you don’t look to weird bringing your surrogate father along to a date.’”

Tony laughed.

“Oh my god,” Peter breathed, “I’m meeting MJ’s mom for the first time in Tony Stark’s body.”

Realization washed over Tony.

“We’re royally screwed, aren’t we?” Peter asked.

“Yeah, kiddo, I think we are.”

They finished up in the bathroom with only a few threats from Peter about shaving his beard. Afterward, the two of them rushed around the penthouse in a flurry of movement. Peter seemed to trip a lot more in Tony’s body, to which Tony asked Peter to ‘please don’t break me.’ Before they left, Peter approached Tony with an unbuttoned suit jacket on and a limp tie in one hand.

“I don’t know how,” Peter shrugged, looking at Tony with pleading eyes.

“I gotcha,” Tony smiled, tying the tie and guiding Peter through each of the steps to which Peter enthusiastically nodded.

Tony took a step back and tilted his head to admire his handiwork. “I always imagined this moment. Never thought we would be body swapped for it, though.”

“It wouldn’t be an ‘us’ moment if it wasn’t slightly strange, Tony.”

Tony’s heart melted a little bit at the use of his first name. “Yeah, underoos, I guess you’re right.”

* * *

Tony could hear the swing of the door from their spot in the back of the restaurant. It was a quaint little place, nice enough for casual dress clothes. Tony, in Peter’s body, was wearing a button up and jeans. Peter, in Tony’s body, was wearing one of Tony’s more casual suits and a tie.

“They’re coming,” Tony warned in a whisper.

“Oh my god, I’m so nervous - like, how do adults even act -”

Michelle’s mom appeared in front of the booth, holding out her hand that Peter took. “Nice to meet you, Mr Stark. I’m aware you are attending because of a recent injury Peter sustained?”

Tony snorted in Peter’s body.

“Uh, yeah, that would be correct. Just worried about my boy,” Peter smiled, nodding, “And, please, call me Tony.”

“I’m Amanda.”

Peter looked at MJ. “Nice to... meet you, Michelle,” he stuttered, “Peter’s told me so much about you.”

MJ looked between Peter and Tony, a smirk growing on her face. “Likewise, Mr Stark.”

Peter and Michelle looked at each other, a conversation passing in limited expressions. Tony and Amanda met eyes, an unreadable look passing through her gaze. Tony was aware of how this looked, and shrugged.

Tony coughed in Peter’s direction and Michelle laughed. Amanda furrowed her brow and Peter’s eyes went wide as he looked away from MJ.

“So, uh, what do you do for a living?” Peter asked, voice dripping with awkwardness.

“I’m a psychologist,” Amanda nodded, “Always wanted to be one when I was little.”

“My daughter Morgan says that she wants to be a psychologist,” Peter said, “But I wouldn’t put it past her to want to be an ice cream scooper by the end of next week.”

Amanda chuckled. “I wasn’t aware you had a daughter.”

Aw, shit.

Thankfully, the conversation was interrupted by Tony spitting his water out all over the table as MJ watched, cackling lightly into her hand.

“Ton - Peter, what the hell?”

“It’s nothing, Mr Stark, I promise. MJ just told a funny joke, honest.”

Peter tilted his head. Man, Tony did a good impression of him.

“Alright, kiddo,” Peter sighed.

The conversation trudged on. Man, what did adults even talk about? Taxes?

They ordered their food and at some point, Amanda excused herself to head to the restroom.

When she rounded the corner, Tony’s fake smile fell. “Peter, restrain your girlfriend. She’s interrogating me over here.”

“I am not interrogating!”

“You definitely are.”

“Besides, my mom doesn’t suspect a thing. There’s nothing better than spicing up your Saturday date with a little body swap.”

Peter screwed up his face. “In any other context, I would be thoroughly disgusted.”

Tony nodded. “Hell, I’m thoroughly disgusted in this context.”

MJ shrugged, mischievously sipping her drink. Michelle’s mom soon returned and they ordered their food.

“So, how did this happen?” Michelle whispered to Tony.

“A crazy old lady and a gold watch.”

“Ah, the usual. How long will this be a thing?”

“Till Tuesday morning. Does Peter not tell you anything?”

“He usually tells me the basics until we can see each other,” Michelle rolled her eyes, “So you have to go to school?”

Tony blinked. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

“Oh my god. This is the best thing that’s ever happened.”

“I politely disagree,” Tony said, then inhaled and grabbed his water,” Do you ever think Peter will tell your mom about his arachnid issue?”

“Maybe when we’re older,” she shrugged, “Bizzare things like this would be easier to explain. And so would the fact that I visit him in the hospital with a gunshot wound like every other week.”

The rest of the dinner progressed without much issue. When the check came, Peter did a surprisingly good imitation of Tony’s signature that briefly made Tony reassess his choices. They left the restaurant under the cool moonlight.

Michelle’s mom began to speak once they were out of Tony and Peter’s hearing range.

“You know, Michelle, they say that Tony Stark is full of charisma, but I just don’t see it.”

Michelle threw her head back with a laugh.

* * *

“So you make the sign for love to release the webs -”

“I know how your web shooters work, Peter.”

Peter crossed his arms. “Fine. Then tell me how mastering my stickiness is going.”

“Great,” Tony grumbled, trying not to remember a couple hours ago when he got Morgan’s coloring book pages stuck all over him.

Night had fallen over the pair, and the only thing illuminating the room were the holo screens with a complete detail of Peter’s spider powers. The skyline was seen in a silhouette behind them.

“Do you stick to everything?” Tony asked.

Peter shrugged. “I can stick stick to everything. That doesn’t mean I do.”

“Huh,” Tony pursed his lips, “Can we come back to this? I want to teach you how to use the suit”

“When would I ever say no to that?”

After a demonstration from Tony and after the initial shock from the fact that he was coded to the Iron Man suit wore off, Peter was ready to give it a try.

“Hold your arms out at your side - there, good. Thrusters at five percent please, FRI.”

Peter slowly raised off the ground, navigating the lab using flailing arms.

“I’m doing it!” he shouted, but then slammed into the wall behind him.

Tony helped Peter up, smiling. “You know what, I think we’d both do better in the field.”

“You’re kidding.”

* * *

“You’re not kidding! This is awesome!” Peter cheered, hovering just off of the helipad over the ninety-six story drop to the ground.

Tony looked at his wrists. “Alright kid, teach me how to thwip.”

“Okay, uh,” Peter used the thrusters to turn and look out at the city. He searched the buildings with his eyes. “It’s just a leap of faith. You see that apartment building? That’s where you’re gonna aim your web. Double tap to release when you’re ready to start your next web line.”

“Alright, here goes nothing...” Tony began to run to the edge of the building -

“Wait, wait, wait! Don’t forget to use all that strength in you legs.”

“Okay, kiddo, I got this.”

Peter held his breath and turned his head a little bit but still kept his eyes on Tony, who restarted his run to the edge of the building.

The man flung himself off of the building, whooping as he went and sticking a web to the building Peter had pointed out. Peter watched him extend another web out before stopping on the roof of a hotel.

Peter zoomed down to meet him, only veering a little too far to the right.

“That’s so strange! It’s like, in my DNA!”

“It’s in my DNA, so yeah, right now it is in yours.”

“Enough cheek, kid, let’s go punch some muggers.”

Tony whooped again and flung himself off of the building. Peter shook his head fondly and followed after him at breakneck speed.

After a successful night of webbing up criminals, they were eating early morning sandwiches thanks to the kind folk at Inwood’s Bodega. Peter always felt bad when he got sandwiches somewhere other than Delmar’s, but Mr Delmar would have his identity figured out in a second, even when it was Tony in his body.

“What time is it, Mr Stark?”

“Five o’clock in the AM,” Tony said after asking Karen.

Peter’s blood ran cold. “May’s coming by the tower in two hours to pick me up.”

“Oh, shit.”

“Oh shit is right. Race you back to the tower!”

“I don’t think a race is the right answer to that issue, but I digress,” Tony sighed, shooting a web at the building across the avenue.

* * *

“Okay, so, we have to present this the right way or we are both getting in so much trouble.”

“Pep didn’t get us in trouble.”

“Miss Potts also knows that these kinds of things are in the job requirement. May doesn’t understand that yet.”

“How long has she known, again?”

“Like, a year. But she still doesn’t -”

The elevator dinged and the doors opened, revealing May and Happy having a light conversation. Both of them looked to the pair on the couch, noticing that Peter and Tony were altogether too stiff for anything not to have happened.

“Hey, May,” Peter smiled, “Now don’t freak out, but I’m actually Peter. And he’s actually Tony. Butitwillbefixedbyintwodays.”

Tony snorted. “That’s your idea of tactful?”

“It was all I got!” Peter whispered.

May looked at Happy with narrowed eyes.

Happy then squinted his own eyes. “How do I know you’re not Skrulls?”

“Well, Happy, there was that one time in Berlin -” Peter started.

“I’ve said that one aloud before.”

Peter pursed his lips. “In Brock... Broek op Lange... Langej… I thought that Black in Black was a Led Zepplin song.”

Happy looked at May and nodded, ignoring Tony’s mouth silently opening and closing. “It’s him.”

May rushed over to Peter, cupping her hand on his face. “Oh, baby. Are you alright?”

“I’m great, May,” he swatted her hand away, “But I think both Tony and I need to stay at the apartment. He has school tomorrow.”

She laughed and pulled her boy into a hug. “Yeah, we can make it work.”

Peter mouthed ‘told you it would go alright’ at Tony over May’s shoulder.

* * *

Peter woke up in the bottom bunk of his bunk bed with pain everywhere. He was achy all over, and when he sat up, his joints creaked in disagreement.

He heard Tony yawn above him. “You awake, Peter?”

“Yeah, Mr Stark. I’m up.”

“I’ve never slept better in my entire life.”

“I disagree,” Peter said, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. “How do you live with all these aches and pains in your bones? Why do people’s bodies do this when they get old?”

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just call me old.”

Breakfast was odd at the very least. May kept forgetting who was who but Peter could tell she was trying her best. Soon, Peter was sending Tony out the door like a parent sending their kid to school.

“This feels so backwards,” Tony groaned, “And besides, you never told me what this presentation is on.”

“It’s on our inspirations when it comes to engineering and their most important invention. Now, shoo,” Peter said, pushing Tony out the front door. “Notes are in the front pocket,” he yelled through the door.

Tony groaned, shuffling his feet as he walked to school. Damn, he was starting to actually feel like a moody teenager. Stupid hormones.

He did what Peter told him, putting his earbuds in and not talking to anyone until he reached the lockers where apparently he, MJ and Ned met every morning.

Michelle was leaning against the lockers with Ned excitedly babbling away beside her. He was being very gesticulate, and Michelle nodded every time he paused for breath. When she saw him approaching, she waved him over.

“That you, Stark?” she asked as Ned’s eyes went as wide as saucers.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s me.”

“Stop walking so confidently. I can tell that you’re not Peter.”

Ned looked between Tony and Michelle, eyes narrowing. “Wait… that’s not… that’s…”

“That’s Tony Stark, Ned.”

“Tony Stark is in my best friend’s body!” he exclaimed quietly and breathlessly.

“Yep, that’s me.”

“But doesn’t Peter have that presentation today?” Ned cocked his head, looking at Michelle.

“Yeah, he does. But Stark here had already been through highschool. It’ll all be alright.”

“Does he know what it’s about?”

Michelle glared at Ned, crossing her arms. “Don’t tell him until he looks at the notes. Don’t want him to get a bigger ego than he already has.”

“I do not have a big ego!”

“Tell that to the SHIELD files that were released that claim you have ‘textbook narcissism.’”

“That was pre-Avengers!” Tony pointed out.

Michelle rolled her eyes. “Good luck on your presentation.”

* * *

At the New York Convention Center, Peter sat across from Pepper, stacking his notes.

“Hello everyone, my name is Tony Stark…” Peter looked up from his notes. “Saying that doesn’t even feel right! How am I supposed to do this?”

“You’ve got this, Peter, you just have to believe in yourself,” Pepper reassured, “You know this information second best to Tony who invented it. Just pretend you’re in the lab explaining it to a confused Happy.”

“Okay, okay, yeah. I think I’m ready.”

* * *

“Peter?” Mr Harrington called, “It’s time for you to present.”

Betty, who had just sat down from presenting, turned around and smiled at Tony giving a thumbs up. Tony shakily smiled and rearranged Peter’s notes, heading up to the front of the room. Mr Harrington fumbled with Google classroom for a minute or two, leaving Tony to remind himself on how to act like Peter.

Awkward, but not too awkward. Stumbling, but still decisive. Highly intelligent, but not confident.

Eh, screw that. He was gonna get his kid a one hundred.

“Alright, Peter. I’m ready when you are.”

Tony smiled and waved a little bit. “Hi, my name is Peter Parker, and my inspiration when I engineer is Tony Stark,” Tony said, looking down at his notes, doing exactly what Peter told him to do.

“In my opinion, his most influential invention is the arc reactor,” Tony said, his eyes gazing over the notes once again, noticing the oversimplification of how the arc reactor worked. He put the notes on the floor beside him. He could explain his favorite piece of tech without the help of notes, and he knew Peter could, too.

Meanwhile, Peter was preparing to walk out on stage at the New York Scientific Conference. He was ushered to backstage by a stagehand who said that Peter would be on in three. The man then threw up three fingers and walked away, babbling into a mouthpiece. Happy came up from behind him, patting him on the shoulder. “You’ve got this, Peter. Go kill em up there.”

Peter shakily smiled and stumbled onstage, saving himself from falling on his face at the last second. He could pick out some of New York’s elite and many high profile researchers in the audience. What was he doing here, out under these harsh studio lights? He was just a sixteen year old kid from Queens! He knew plenty about arc reactor technology, but all these people were expecting a lot from this presentation.

He took a deep breath. It was just like when he was little, armed with a drawn-on beard and repulsor gloves, playing pretend in the mirror. He was Tony freaking Stark! At least, right now he was. He could do anything.

Inhaling sharply, he began his speech. “I’m Tony Stark, but you all probably knew that.”

The crowd lightly laughed as Peter realized that the sass came easily, like it was encoded in his mind. Tony’s name rolled around like marbles in his mouth, but that was okay, he had a full speech to make up for it.

“The widespread implementation of the arc reactor in New York City will bring down the cost of electricity, helping bring more affordable options to those in poverty.”

Peter looked to Happy, who gave him a thumbs up. “A miniaturized arc reactor has enough power to keep a human heart going for fifty lifetimes,” he gestured to his own chest, “That machine kept me alive for five years. You can trust it to keep the city alive for many more.”

Back in class, Tony was explaining how the machine worked.“The arc reactor is a fusion reactor that works as both an electromagnet and an unlimited energy source.”

Flash yawned in the back, throwing Tony off of his roll. Damn, he was going to make the rest of this presentation interesting.

“Next slide, please,” Tony said with a quick sniffle. “The plan for widespread use of the arc reactor is being presented as we speak. But that isn’t the most well known implementation.”

Tony double tapped his watch with two fingers, watching as the nanoparticles spread over his hand.

“Don’t worry, this one isn’t weaponized,” he lied. He wouldn’t use it against any of the kids, but he knew how schools felt about weapons on their property.

“The arc reactor was what saved Mr Stark’s life in that Afghan cave all those years ago. It is also most famously used in the Iron Man suit. Spider-Man has arc reactors on his Iron Spider suit, but not many people have seen that one.”

Tony held out his hand and spun it around, showing all angles of the repulsor. Peter’s classmate’s mouths were wide open at the spectacle.

“Pretty cool, right?” he smirked.

Afterward, Tony provided a more detailed explanation of the arc reactor this time with the aid of diagrams that Peter must’ve photoshopped himself. Speaking of Peter, he was currently showing his own audience labeled pictures that displayed the full capability of the tech.

The pair finished up simultaneously. “Thank you,” they both said at the same time with an overdramatic bow.

* * *

After his presentation, Peter sat around at the tower, waiting for Tony to come home. He couldn’t wait to have his body back tomorrow morning, but this was fun while it lasted. How many people could say that they were Tony Stark for a weekend?

Only two, that’s who.

And as for Tony, he was added to the long list of people who would eventually body swap with Peter.

(“Mr Stark?” Peter yelled down the hall a couple days after the switcharoo.

“Yeah, buddy?”

“Did you follow my notes when you gave my presentation?” Peter said as he peeked his head out of his room.

Tony pushed his glasses up his nose. “I may have gone… a little off script.”

“My teacher just sent me an email,” Peter scrunched up his nose with a huff, “accusing me of plagiarizing you!”

“Oh, shit. I’m so sorry, buddy.”

“That’s not even the worst part! He cited the presentation that I gave in your place as evidence of my ‘plagiarism.’”

Tony’s face fell and he shook his head in disbelief. “Now, that’s what you call good ol’ Parker luck.”)

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!
> 
> come talk to me on [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/icymapletree)!


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